coaching ethics

Question
is it ethical for a high school basketball coach to work the ref?  if so how much?  

Answer
Mike this a bit outside my expertise as it pertains to basketball.  "Working the Ref" has never gotten coaches very far.  Many High School state associations prohibit that conduct.  Interscholastic sports are an extension of the class room or the educational process.  Working the Ref verges on unsportsmanlike conduct and is a misapplied tactic or strategy.  It offers no redeeming lesson to the high school student.  Would you act that way in a class room?  Remember that the court or field is an extension of the interscholastic class room.  Would you work a member of the school board who was there to judge your ability to teach in a class room?

Did you ever see John Wooden work a Ref?  Maybe that is the standard you use.

Officials are unbiased arbiters of the rule who are charged with the duty of administering the game, enforcing the rules and applying just penalties/fouls, further they are the last bastion of integrity the game has. Generally, an Ethical coach will not seek an advantage by circumvention of the spirit or letter of the rules. An ethical coach exert his or her influence to enhance sportsmanship by spectators, both directly and by working closely with cheerleaders, pep club sponsors, booster clubs, and administrators.  The coach should respect and support contest officials, not indulge in conduct which would incite players or spectators against the officials. Public criticism of officials or players is unethical.  So "Working an Official" certainly is not conduct that supports or respects officials.


The National Federation of High Schools has a code of Ethics:
The Coaches Code of Ethics

The function of a coach is to educate students through participation in interscholastic competition. An interscholastic program should be designed to enhance academic achievement and should never interfere with opportunities for academic success. Each student-athlete should be treated as though he or she were the coaches' own, and his or her welfare should be uppermost at all times. Accordingly, the following guidelines for coaches have been adopted by the NFCA Board of Directors.

The coach shall be aware that he or she has a tremendous influence, for either good or ill, on the education of the student-athlete and, thus, shall never place the value of winning above the value of instilling the highest ideals of character.

The coach shall uphold the honor and dignity of the profession. In all personal contact with student-athletes, officials, athletic directors, school administrators, the state high school athletic association, the media, and the public, the coach shall strive to set an example of the highest ethical and moral conduct.

The coach shall take an active role in the prevention of drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse.

The coach shall avoid the use of alcohol and tobacco products when in contact with players.

The coach shall promote the entire interscholastic program of the school and direct his or her program in harmony with the total school program.

The coach shall master the contest rules and shall teach them to his or her team members. The coach shall not seek an advantage by circumvention of the spirit or letter of the rules.

The coach shall exert his or her influence to enhance sportsmanship by spectators, both directly and by working closely with cheerleaders, pep club sponsors, booster clubs, and administrators.

The coach shall respect and support contest officials. The coach shall not indulge in conduct which would incite players or spectators against the officials. Public criticism of officials or players is unethical.

Before and after contests, coaches for the competing teams should meet and exchange cordial greetings to set the correct tone for the event.

A coach shall not exert pressure on faculty members to give student-athletes special consideration. A coach shall not scout opponents by any means other than those adopted by the league and/or state high school athletic association.

I hope this helps.
Victor Winnek
NCAA Football Official



FYI & other Info you might find interesting:
Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of a Coach

By Rich Engelhorn, Iowa State University

How many career options can provide the excitement, challenges and satisfaction of coaching? Coaches at all levels experience the pleasure of watching young people develop sport skills and contribute to successful teams. However, coaches also have important legal and ethical obligations to their schools and their athletes. Many of these obligations or responsibilities are natural extensions of the mission and goals of the high school athletic program. Others are defined legally or are expectations of society for a 搕eacher?in a school activity.

Legal responsibilities are usually well-defined and are often points of emphasis in coaching certification programs. State athletic associations, departments of education and other government organizations determine the range of legal responsibilities for a coach. These responsibilities usually are formulated to maintain the safety and well-being of the athletes and to maintain the educational focus of the athletic program. Mandatory child-abuse reporting is a legal responsibility of coaches in many states and is a good example of a coach抯 duty that is mandated by a governmental body.

Court rulings or other legal actions may determine other responsibilities. Providing warnings to athletes and parents of the risks associated with a sport is a responsibility that likely arose from court cases after a serious sport-related injury occurred during a practice or game. Failure to perform this duty may put a coach and athletic program at risk (Trichka, 2001).

A very important source of additional expectations for a coach is found in the accepted state and national standards for coaching published by professional organizations. The most recent and comprehensive set of standards were published in 1995 by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). These standards are being accepted by organizations throughout the country and are being used to determine the content of coaching education programs. As these standards become more widely accepted, they will become the 搒tandard of care?for coaches in the eyes of the legal system. It will be necessary for coaches to show that they have the training and expertise in each of the various areas detailed in this set of standards.

[NOTE: The NFHS has been actively involved in the revision of the standards for athletic coaches published by NASPE. In addition, the NFHS Coaches Education Program Bronze Level 1 courses will include curriculum to meet these standards.]

There are many lists of coaching responsibilities to be found. Some focus mainly on the legal issues and others focus more on ethical issues. The legal and ethical issues are not mutually exclusive, as many of the legal responsibilities are based upon societal ethics, doing what is morally right. Preventing discrimination and harassment of athletes is a legal duty of coaches, since these activities are illegal, but this duty is also an ethical expectation of society. Athletes in a coach抯 care are expected to be safe, both physically and emotionally.

The following list of legal duties of a coach is adapted from the Coaching Youth Sports Web site (Stratton, 1999) and is very representative of the many codes of conduct and behaviors recommended for coaches.

1. conducting practices and games in a safe physical environment

2. use of current knowledge of proper skills and methods of instruction

3. use of safe and appropriate equipment

4. proper short- and long-term planning

5. proper matching of athletes in practices and games by size, experience and ability

6. provision of adequate supervision of athletes

7. provide warnings to parents and athletes of risks inherent in sport participation

8. sensitivity to the health and well-being of athletes under a coach抯 care

9. provision of appropriate emergency care


[NOTE: The NFHS Coaches Association Code of Ethics for interscholastic coaches can be found at <www.nfhs.org>.]


The Iowa coaching authorization course on coaching ethics includes a few additional responsibilities (Osmundson, 2001):

1. prevent harassment and discrimination by coaching staff and athletes

2. report suspected child abuse to proper authorities

3. respect and protect the confidentiality of student personal records

4. report breaches of ethical behavior by colleagues

These two lists include many of the 搇egal?responsibilities of coaches. However, a coach owes the student-athlete more than just what is required by law. There are other 揺thical?responsibilities that should also be considered as an integral part of coaches?duties. Not performing these will probably not land you in jail or result in a civil judgment against you, but you will not be achieving the mission and goals of a sound interscholastic sports program. The behaviors that reflect strong ethical conduct by the coach should be extensions of the school抯 mission statement. Most schools have a general statement, and many also have specific mission statement for athletics. It is relatively easy to explore the mission statement of high schools around the country with the Internet and school Web pages. One philosophy statement which seems particularly relevant to the interscholastic domain and which supports many of the ethical responsibilities of coaching belongs to West Aurora High School in Aurora, Illinois.

For the full version of its philosophy statement, please visit its Web site (West Aurora, 2002). Excerpts from this statement will illustrate the range of ethical responsibilities that should be part of all sport programs for our youth.

1. We encourage the development of our youth into productive citizens and to develop their abilities and attitudes for further learning and success in life.

2. We encourage participation and would like to involve as many students as possible in a competitive, interscholastic experience.

3. All team members, regardless of ability, will be afforded opportunities to develop their work ethic, sense of commitment, and social and athletic skills.

4. The athletic program seeks to educate athletes about community support and encourages them to return that support both now and throughout their lives.

5. The goal is to win, but to win the correct way. Never sacrifice character for wins.

These five excerpts from the West Aurora Philosophy Statement illustrate quite well the ethical obligations a coach and athletic program should have to the athletes. It is apparent that although sport is important in the life of the athlete, learning to be a productive citizen with character and social values is even more important. It is a responsibility of every coach to teach and model good citizenship and sportsmanship. This should include respect for opposing teams and fans, coaches, parents and officials. A unique aspect of the philosophy statement relates to the community focus. Achieving the goal of educating the student-athlete about the relationship between the athletic program and the community is very reflective of the emphasis in this program of producing not only successful athletic teams, but also caring and concerned citizens of good character.

Another ethical responsibility derived from the philosophy statement supports the educational value of sports participation. All athletes involved in sport must be given the attention and time necessary to develop the skills of the sport and for life. The focus of a program cannot be on the select few elite players on a team. A program should not be so narrowly focused on winning that the educational values of the program are lost. Helping all athletes on teams to develop the 搘ork ethic, commitment, and social and athletic skills?necessary for success in sport and life is perhaps the best test of the educational commitment of an interscholastic sports program.

To summarize the coach抯 ethical responsibilities, it is useful to list some of the important ethical responsibilities that guarantee the achievement of the educational mission of an interscholastic athletic program.

1. Create a healthy and safe emotional environment, free of fear, discrimination, abuse and harassment. Athletes cannot enjoy their experience without this.

2. Teach and more importantly model good citizenship and sportsmanship. Athletes must understand your commitment to helping them develop character and moral reasoning.

3. Respect the spirit of a rule as well as the letter of the rule. Respect the difficult job officials have in enforcing the rules of any game. Taking advantage of rules

to gain an advantage is not ethical. It indicates an unhealthy focus on winning.

4. Be fair in the selection of players for teams and in the allocation of practice and playing time.  Empathize with the young athletes attempting to gain a place on your team.

5. Respect the role of sport in the life of a child and the commitment the athlete has to family, friends and other interests outside of sport. Athletes must be allowed to experience other sports as well as to participate in the arts if they desire. Off-season conditioning activities may be beneficial to a high school athlete, but these activities must be chosen by the athlete and not dictated in such a way that it limits the freedom of the individual to freely participate in other activities of interest to the student.

Interscholastic sport is important in the lives of many young people today. In addition, as Gerdy (2000) suggests: 揝port抯 ability to bring a community or school together cannot be overestimated. Our schools and communities would be much less vibrant without it.?In order to maintain the importance of sport in the lives of the youth and of our communities, it is imperative that sport contributes to the educational mission of the school. If a coach adopts and practices the legal and ethical responsibilities described, interscholastic sport will grow and prosper and benefit all who participate.

References

Gerdy, J. (2000) Want value for education dollars? Try music! In Gerdy, J., Editor, Sports in School.. New York: Teachers College Press.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (1995). Quality coaches, quality sports: National Standards./orAthletic Coaches. Reston, VA.

Osmundson, D. (2001) Ethics - coaching and the athletic director. Presentation at the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association Annual Conference, Des Moines.

Stratton, R. (1999) The legal duties of a coach. CYS Coach Neusletter. http://tandl.vt.edu/rstratto/CYSarchive/CoachSept99.html

Trichka, R. (2001) Conduct of the Activity. In Cotton, D., Wolohan, J., and Wilde, T. (editors.), Law for Recreation and Sport Managers. Dubuque: Kendall-Ilunt.

West Aurora (2002). West Aurora Blackhawk Athletics - Philosophies and Policies. http://www.sd 129.org/athletics/policy.htm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rich Engelhorn, Ph.D, is an associate professor in the department of health and human performance at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He has taught at Iowa State since 1984 and was at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, for five years before joining the ISU faculty. He was founder and director the past 17 years of the Summer Youth Fitness Program at Iowa State. Engelhorn, who has an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and graduate degrees from Washington State University and the University of Illinois, coached track and cross country at University High School in Urbana, Illinois, in 1968-69. He also has coached a number of sports at the youth level. He officiated volleyball in Iowa for four years, and he was a three-sport (basketball, baseball and track) participant in high school.


California Interscholastic Federation Coaches Conduct Agreement:
Code of Conduct for Interscholastic Coaches

Preface

We, in the California Interscholastic Federation/ Central Coast Section, believe that high school athletic competition should be fun but that it must also be a significant part of a sound educational program. We believe that those who coach student-athletes are, first and foremost, teachers who have a duty to assure that their sports programs promote important life skills and the development of good character. We believe that the essential elements of character-building are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core ethical values: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship (the "Six Pillars of Charactersm"). We believe, further, that the highest potential of sports is achieved when teacher-coaches consciously Teach, Enforce, Advocate and Model (T.E.A.M.) these values and are committed to the ideal of pursuing victory with honor. Finally, we believe that sincere and good-faith efforts to honor the words and spirit of this Code will improve the quality of our programs and the well being of our student-athletes. This Code of Conduct applies to all full-time and part-time coaches involved in interscholastic sports.

I understand that in my position as a coach, I must act in accord with the following code:

TRUSTWORTHINESS.

1. Trustworthiness ?be worthy of trust in all I do and teach student-athletes the importance of integrity, honesty, reliability and loyalty.

q Integrity ?model high ideals of ethics and sportsmanship and always pursue victory with honor; teach, advocate and model the importance of honor and good character by doing the right thing even when it抯 unpopular or personally costly.

q Honesty ?don抰 lie, cheat, steal or engage in or permit dishonest or unsportsmanlike conduct.

q Reliability ?fulfill commitments; I will do what I say I will do; be on time.

q Loyalty ?be loyal to my school and team; put the team above personal glory.

2. Primacy of Educational Goals ?be faithful to the educational and character-development missions of the school and assure that these objectives are not compromised to achieve sports performance goals; always place the academic, emotional, physical and moral well being of athletes above desires and pressures to win.

3. Counseling ?be candid with student-athletes and their parents about the likelihood of getting an athletic scholarship or playing on a professional level. Counsel them about the requirement of many colleges preventing recruitment of student-athletes that do not have a serious commitment to their education, the ability to succeed academically or the character to represent their institution honorably.

4. College Recruiters ?be honest and candid with college recruiters about the character and academic abilities and interest of student-athletes.

RESPECT

5. Respect ?treat all people with respect all the time and require the same of student-athletes

6. Class ?be a good sport, teach and model class, be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity; encourage student-athletes to give fallen opponents a hand, compliment extraordinary performance, and show sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals.

7. Taunting ?don抰 engage in or allow trash-talking, taunting, boastful celebrations, or other actions that demean individuals or the sport.

8. Respect Officials ?treat contest officials with respect; don抰 complain about or argue with official calls or decisions during or after an athletic event.

9. Respect Parents ?treat the parents of student-athletes with respect; be clear about your expectations, goals and policies and maintain open lines of communication.

10. Profanity ?don抰 engage in or permit profanity or obscene gestures during practices, sporting events, on team buses, or any other situation where the behavior could reflect badly on the school or the sports program.

11. Positive Coaching ?use positive coaching methods to make the experience enjoyable, increase self-esteem and foster a love and appreciation for the sport. Refrain from physical or psychological intimidation, verbal abuse, and conduct that is demeaning to student-athletes or others.

12. Effort and Teamwork ?encourage student-athletes to pursue victory with honor, to think and play as a team, to do their best and continually improve through personal effort and discipline. Discourage selfishness and put less emphasis on the final outcome of the contest, than upon effort, improvement, teamwork, and winning with character.

13. Professional Relationships ?maintain appropriate, professional relationships with student athletes and respect proper teacher-student boundaries. Sexual or romantic contact with students is strictly forbidden as is verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature directed to or in view of student-athletes.

RESPONSIBILITY

14. Life Skills ?always strive to enhance the physical, mental, social and moral development of student-athletes and teach them positive life skills that will help them become well-rounded, successful and socially responsible.

15. Advocate Education ?advocate the importance of education beyond basic athletic eligibility standards and work with faculty and parents to help student-athletes set and achieve the highest academic goals possible for them.

16. Advocate Honor ?prominently discuss the importance of character, ethics and sportsmanship in materials about the athletic program and vigorously advocate the concept of pursuing victory with honor in all communications.

17. Good Character ?foster the development of good character by teaching, enforcing, advocating and modeling (T.E.A.M.) high standards of ethics and sportsmanship and the six pillars of character.

18. Role-Modeling ?be a worthy role-model, always be mindful of the high visibility and great influence you have as a teacher-coach and consistently conduct myself in private and coaching situations in a manner that exemplifies all I want my student-athletes to be.

19. Personal Conduct ?refrain from profanity, disrespectful conduct, and the use of alcohol or tobacco in front of student-athletes or other situations where my conduct could undermine my positive impact as a role model.

20. Competence ?strive to improve coaching competence and acquire increasing proficiency in coaching principles and current strategies, character-building techniques, and first-aid and safety.

21. Knowledge of Rules ?maintain a thorough knowledge of current game and competition rules and assure that my student-athletes know and understand the rules.

22. Positive Environment ?strive to provide a challenging, safe, enjoyable, and successful experiences for the athletes by maintaining a sports environment that is physically and emotionally safe.

23. Safety and Health ?be informed about basic first aid principles and the physical capacities and limitations of the age-group coached.

24. Unhealthy Substances ?educate student-athletes about the dangers and prohibit the use of unhealthy and illegal substances including alcohol, tobacco and recreational or performance-enhancing drugs.

25. Eating Disorders ?counsel students about the dangers of and be vigilant for signs of eating disorders or unhealthy techniques to gain, lose or maintain weight.

26. Physician抯 Advice 梥eek and follow the advice of a physician when determining whether an injured student-athlete is ready to play.

27. Privilege to Compete ?assure that student-athletes understand that participation in interscholastic sports programs is a privilege, not a right and that they are expected to represent their school, team and teammates with honor, on and off the field. Require student-athletes to consistently exhibit good character and conduct themselves as positive role models.

28. Self-Control 梒ontrol my ego and emotions; avoid displays of anger and frustration; don抰 retaliate.

29. Integrity of the Game ?protect the integrity of the game; don抰 gamble. Play the game according to the rules.

30. Enforcing Rule ?enforce this Code of Conduct consistently in all sports杛elated activities and venues even when the consequences are high.

31. Protect Athletes ?put the well being of student-athletes above other considerations and take appropriate steps to protect them from inappropriate conduct.

32. Access ?help make your sport accessible to all diverse communities.

33. Improper Commercialism ?be sensitive to and avoid unwholesome commercialism including inappropriate exploitation of my name or the name of the school and undue financial dependence on corporate entities. Make sure any affiliation or association with a corporate entity is approved by school and district officials.

FAIRNESS

34. Fair and Open ?be fair in competitive situations, selecting a team, disciplinary issues and all other matters; and be open-minded and willing to listen and learn.

CARING

35. Safe Competition ?put safety and health considerations above the desire to win; never permit student-athletes to intentionally injure any player or engage in reckless behavior that might cause injury to themselves or others.

36. Caring Environment ?consistently demonstrate concern for student-athletes as individuals and encourage them to look out for one another and think and act as a team

CITIZENSHIP

37. Honor the Spirit of Rules ?observe and require student-athletes to observe the spirit and the letter of all rules including the rules of the game and those relating to eligibility, recruitment, transfers, practices and other provisions regulating interscholastic competition.

38. Improper Gamesmanship ?promote sportsmanship over gamesmanship; don抰 cheat. Resist temptations to gain competitive advantage through strategies or techniques (such as devious rule violations, alteration of equipment or the field of play or tactics designed primarily to induce injury or fear of injury) that violate the rules, disrespect the highest traditions of the sport or change the nature of competition by practices that negate or diminish the impact of the core athletic skills that define the sport.

I have read and understand the requirements of this Code of Conduct. I will act in accord with this code. I understand that school (and district) officials as well as league and section officials will and should expect that I will follow this code.